Bro Split
Also known as: bro split · body part split · bodybuilding split · classic body-part split · 5 day split · chest day · arm day · body building
The classic bodybuilding 'bro split' — one muscle group a day: Chest, Back, Shoulders, Legs, Arms. Each session hammers its target with 5–6 exercises and heavy hypertrophy volume, then a full week's recovery before it comes round again. Double progression on everything: hit the top of the rep range on all sets, then add weight. Maximum focus, maximum pump — the way the Golden-Era physiques were built.
Free to use · auto progression, rest timers & PR tracking built in
What is Bro Split?
The bro split gets mocked online and quietly run by half the gym floor, because the format is genuinely enjoyable: five days, one muscle group per day — Chest on Monday, then Back, Shoulders, Legs and an Arms day to finish the week. Each session gives its target five or six exercises and nothing else, so chest day is bench, incline dumbbell press, two kinds of flyes and dips to failure, with a full seven days before that muscle is asked to work again.
This body part split keeps compound anchors where they belong — 4×8–10 barbell bench opens Chest, deadlifts at 3×6–8 open Back, 4×8–10 squats open Legs, close-grip bench opens Arms — then stacks isolation in the 10–15 rep range behind them. Weekly volume per muscle ends up comparable to fancier bodybuilding splits; it just arrives in one concentrated dose instead of two smaller ones.
Is Bro Split right for you?
Pick this split if per-session focus matters more to you than per-week frequency: you get to empty the tank on one muscle, chase the pump through four angles, and know it has a week to grow back. It suits intermediates who recover slowly, people who love training a lagging muscle hard, and anyone whose adherence depends on the gym being fun. The honest trade-off: research leans toward twice-a-week frequency producing a bit more growth for the same volume, so if you are optimising every percent, a PPL or upper/lower pattern is the stricter choice. If the bro split is the one you will actually show up for, that beats the optimal program you quit.
How progression works
One rule runs the entire week: double progression. Every exercise has a rep range — 8–10 on the heavy compounds, 10–12 in the middle, 12–15 or 15–20 on the isolation and calf work. Keep the weight fixed until you hit the top of the range on every set, then add 2.5 kg and rebuild from the bottom. Because each muscle only gets one crack per week, missed reps matter more here than on high-frequency plans — treat every logged set as data. Durata's double-progression tracking flags the session where all sets touched the ceiling and bumps the target weight automatically, so nothing stalls just because you forgot what you lifted eight days ago.
Durata runs this progression for you — there are no percentages to work out, so each session's target carries over from what you logged last time and the weight moves when you hit or miss the prescribed reps.
Bro Split — every set, every session
AMRAP = as many reps as possible on the sets marked AMRAP.
Chest
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 4×8–10 | 2:30 |
| Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell) | 3×10–12 | — |
| Chest Fly (Dumbbell) | 3×12–15 | — |
| Cable Fly Crossovers | 3×12–15 | — |
| Chest Dip | 3×10+ AMRAP | — |
| Cable Crunch | 3×15–20 | — |
Back
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 3×6–8 | 3:30 |
| Pull Up | 3×10+ AMRAP | — |
| Bent Over Row (Barbell) | 4×8–10 | — |
| Lat Pulldown (Cable) | 3×10–12 | — |
| Seated Cable Row - Bar Grip | 3×10–12 | — |
| Face Pull | 3×15–20 | — |
Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 4×8–10 | 2:30 |
| Lateral Raise (Dumbbell) | 4×12–15 | — |
| Rear Delt Reverse Fly (Dumbbell) | 3×15–20 | — |
| Arnold Press (Dumbbell) | 3×10–12 | — |
| Front Raise (Dumbbell) | 3×12–15 | — |
| Shrug (Barbell) | 4×12–15 | — |
Legs
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 4×8–10 | 3:30 |
| Leg Press (Machine) | 3×10–12 | — |
| Romanian Deadlift (Barbell) | 3×10–12 | — |
| Lying Leg Curl (Machine) | 3×12–15 | — |
| Leg Extension (Machine) | 3×15–20 | — |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4×15–20 | — |
Arms
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press - Close Grip (Barbell) | 3×8–10 | 2:30 |
| Bicep Curl (Barbell) | 3×8–10 | — |
| Skullcrusher (Barbell) | 3×10–12 | — |
| Preacher Curl (Barbell) | 3×10–12 | — |
| Triceps Rope Pushdown | 3×12–15 | — |
| Hammer Curl (Dumbbell) | 3×12–15 | — |
Bro Split — common questions
Is a bro split actually effective, or is once-a-week frequency too low?
It builds muscle — total weekly volume matters most, and this split delivers plenty per muscle. Studies suggest spreading the same volume over two weekly sessions is slightly better, so call the bro split perhaps 90–95% as efficient, with the gap paid back in focus and enjoyment. It is a legitimate choice, not a beginner trap.
Which order should the days go in?
As programmed: Chest, Back, Shoulders, Legs, Arms. Chest and Shoulders are separated by Back day so your pressing isn't wrecked two days running, and Arms comes last when biceps and triceps are already pre-fatigued from the week — that is deliberate.
What happens if I miss a day?
Shift the week rather than skip the muscle — push the remaining days back and shorten the weekend gap. Losing Legs day to a schedule hiccup once is fine; letting the same muscle silently fall to once a fortnight is how bro splits get their bad reputation.
How long are the sessions?
About 60 minutes. Five or six exercises at three to four sets, with only the opening compound needing long 2.5–3.5 minute rests. Arm day is the quickest; Legs, with squats at 4×8–10 plus five more movements, is the one that runs long.
Deadlifts on Back day — do they belong there?
In this bodybuilding split, yes. At 3×6–8 they are there for the lats, traps, spinal erectors and grip, not for a 1RM. Keep two clean reps in reserve; the pull-ups, rows and pulldowns after them are where the back width actually gets built.
Source: Classic body-part / bodybuilding split — generic method.
Durata is not affiliated with or endorsed by the program's author. The program structure (sets, reps, exercise selection) is presented as published methodology.
Run Bro Split in Durata
AMRAP tracking, automatic progression, plate calculator, rest timers and PR tracking — the whole program, ready to log.
